All Ages Can Watch It
LIKES:Concept of the secret passage way.
The house where the 4 guys lived was a nice set; modern and playful
Chemistry between the 4 guys and the female leads was decent.
Wardrobe was appropriate and some pieces were current street fashion.
FX for the VR and what was used for Xu Nian in the final episode was decent.
DISLIKES:
Writing:
They stole the eye glasses + AI + real guy concept from Holo My Love. Some ideas seem to also come from Cinderella and the Four Knights 2016 (4 guys, one rich house, one girl changes them all).
The “bad guy” was over the top, especially with his punishments, to the point of being ridiculous.
Very childish in terms of the romance, but is suitable for ages 10 and up. Also the “surprising reveal” in Ep. 35, was so predictable right from the start.
Production:
Green screen very obvious during car driving scenes and hot air balloon moments.
Pacing issues, even though the episodes weren’t too long, certain parts were dragged out for too many episodes.
Zooming in too close (I hate seeing up people’s noses) that the actor/actress head is cut off.
Music:
Sometimes too loud and you couldn’t hear the actor/actress voices (thankfully it has sub titles). Also some songs were terrible and I muted them.
OVERALL:
This was a child friendly sci-fi that really wasn’t a new concept in any way. If you liked this kind of genre watch Holo My Love (2020 S. Korean drama) I would recommend that over this. I won’t watch this again.
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Easy Watch
LIKES:Cinematography, production and lighting.
Motorcycle racing and riding shots. [I’m biased because I also ride a motorcycle.]
Wardrobe was great for the most part, especially for FL. Some of the ML jackets and clothes made me shake my head negatively, same with some of the supporting female actresses, but better than most.
No real FX, but they did make the motorcycle riding moments between ML & FL look much more real, compared to some dramas. Liked that they kept the FL as a competent business woman even after she fell in love.
Casting was well done and same with the acting. Good chemistry between all the couples.
Plot was well developed, with just the right amount of drama and angst, with decent character development.
DISLIKES:
Director: Some moments were way too drawn out and a few times the reactions ridiculously slow.
Production: I dislike when they zoom in so close that you can see actress/actor's pores, nose hairs, and makeup.
Acting: Yan Ran was irritating, her character was like an over reacting 10 yr old and she didn’t dress business appropriate. I know it's the director and writer's fault for making her this way, but they should've left her out of the drama. Better to make him a player; dating lots of women, it would suit his character more, with the same effect of making FL jealous.
Music was okay, but sometimes overpowered what the actor/actress was saying.
Writing: the friend in the coma ending moment was anti-climatic and lame. Perhaps due to having to rush the ending, to conclude everything in time? They could’ve just wrote that the ML was the one who had the accident, hence the impact it had on him mentally.
OVERALL:
This was an easy watch, even with some of the typical cliches and tropes. I did like the C-drama and would watch it again. I would also recommend it to anyone who likes this genre, it’s more of a romance drama than a rom-com.
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Pacing Issues, Good Friendship Theme
LIKES:Locations, cinematography, use of props, costumes/wardrobe, were all good.
Music was good and appropriate, but again nothing too memorable.
The friendship of the main 5 was really well delivered.
The message of taking action, communication and trust, were strong throughout the show, especially with Ken’s time jump situations.
DISLIKES:
PRODUCTION:
Some scenes the waves or background sounds overpowered the actor/actress voices. Some shaky camera moments too and zooming in too close, (if I can see nose hair it’s too close!). Also pretty lame FXs for the Fairy intervention moments.
DIRECTING: reactions or under reactions too way too long, which is bad directing. PACING: slow, very very slow. They had Iwase Ken (Yamashita) running around way too much, seemed like filler.
WRITING:
They tried to make the time jumps work, but without enough character development, the “changes” fell flat. This had potential and got lost in delivery. Way too repetitive to have real substance.
It’s supposed to be a romance, but there was none; no chemistry, almost no kisses, very little of everything romantic. Every time Ken tried to speak up, he was ignored abruptly. He was actions speak louder than words, but the girl didn’t appreciate anything. So can she really say she liked him? And it was the typical cliche stuff of guy has to ask girl out, rather than having both pursue each other. It’s understandable that he took way too long to verbally express anything, but she’d have to be super dumb to fall for a guy just saying “I like you”! The 5 are supposed to be great friends, but Ken and Tetsuya constantly bully Hisashi. Some scenes they literally threw Hisashi aside and it wasn’t funny. Was that their attempt at comedy?
ACTING: Even from Yamashita Tomohisa was subpar. He tried with what he was given, but didn’t really connect with the viewer.
OVERALL: I liked the friendship theme, but not much else. I was disappointed throughout, even the special wasn’t very good. I won’t watch it again. There are so many other rom-coms or fantasy romance dramas out there, even die hard fans of Yamashita might not make it through all the episodes.
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Boy Crush with slow pacing
Review based on Movie alone, didn’t even know there was a manga.LIKES:
Yuki great in every role he acts
Sensible girl, even if she’s clumsy. Very mature compared to everyone else in this movie.
Handsome lead but not overly hyped up by the writers for once.
Cinematography and colour pallet was good too.
Loved the fireworks.
Music choice was okay and fit the scenes.
Acting was good overall.
End was satisfactory.
DISLIKES:
WRITING
A few hugs and hand holding, but disappointed there was no kisses made by the ML, by high school couples do that.
Ren & Ninako didn’t have any noticeable growth, the characters that had growth were Takumi and Mao.
Ren came across as a bit boring and stiff. Also when the change came for his love interest, it wasn’t very impactful, because he had little time to notice the girl or had limited “special” moments that came across as romantic. Those moments shown in the flashbacks were more ‘let’s be friends’ than ‘I love you’.
MUSIC lyrics were appropriate, but sometimes it was too loud, so the actor/actress voices were over powered
PRODUCTION
Back lighting (the sun/bright day) made seeing their faces sometimes hard because it was too bright
too many flash backs, so it felt like time filler.
Pacing was a little slow in areas. Too much time spent on running around and multiple flashbacks, when only two each would have been enough.
ACTING
No chemistry between Sota and Arisa.
OVERALL: Fast, easy watch, hardly any drama. Watch it if you are a fan of Yuki (Yamada).
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Bad Writing/script Ruined the Rom Com
LIKES:The actors/actresses were well selected for this show.
Kim Seul Gi as the FL was nice to see.
Art drawing scene with the ‘model’ being shirtless, was an Easter egg moment.
Cinematography and location selection were both good.
A typical Rom Com.
Concept was similar to the American movie Shallow Hal; don’t judge a book by the cover, beauty isn’t just skin deep, Ugly Duckling.
FX were decent, but nothing spectacular [for example: the magic of the ring as it was activated].
Costumes were well executed, especially for the fashion show.
Music wasn’t noticeable, but neither was it annoying.
DISLIKES:
WRITING
They didn’t make the FL ugly, she was pretty, not gorgeous like the real Mi Joo (actress Soon So Hee), but too pretty to pull off the UGLY concept.
No real character development for FL or ML. There was a very little bit, but it was too low key to be impactful. FL doesn’t’ love herself, but just realizes the morality of her deception. Her character needed more time to actually have concrete change. ML had a bit of growth in how he saw the FL, but still needed to change her appearance to realize all the things he liked about her.
The explanation the viewer is given for how the Fashion Design class suddenly accepts a Life Drawing student, is absolutely dumb. Also being able to “sketch/design” clothing, doesn’t mean you know how to sew or produce a completed garment. This concept within the drama was badly executed.
The love triangle was disappointing too.
Due to the time frame of each episode and limited episodes, the characters had little substance and therefore the impact of the conclusion was lack lustre.
The Ending was okay, but was too typical to have impact or even highlight the moral of the story.
DIRECTING
Directing was okay, but definitely had room for improvement [pacing of scenes, some reactions of leads were too delayed].
OVERALL
It was the writing and bad execution of the story that gave this such a low rating from me. Also it needed longer episodes to really develop it. Not all manga’s can be adapted to live action. However it was an easy quick watch. If you like the concept, I would recommend the Rom Com show “A Little Thing Called First Love (2019)” from China. This show executes the concept of ugly duckling, perfectly, although it is really long (36 episodes that are 45 minutes each).
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Explicit with Wrong Message Delivery
Review is based off the show only, never read the manga.LIKES:
Location filming and cinematography.
Okay music.
Perfect actor/actress selection for the characters portrayed.
A lot of emotions shown throughout the show, and the characters are established enough to complete the story as it was written, which says a lot considering episodes were only 24 minutes long and there were only 12.
The age gap of FL and ML in reality is 11 years, so I think that’s why the delivery is so good, because they technically can relate to the characters (although Wako Taira and Yumeaki Iko had a 16 year age gap). The differences in maturity (and not necessarily age, were very believable).
Kamio Fuju’s acting in this was really good, he delivered the feelings of a 15 yr old, as if he still was one. [In 2018 he was 19 years old.]
Considering the character she had to play, Tokunaga Eri also did a good job. [In 2018 when this was created, she was 30]
The only good thing about Wako is she encourages Yumeaki to chase his dreams of becoming a film creator.
The drama did a decent job of showing the harder and uglier side of becoming an adult and living life.
Production was good, letting the acting carry the drama instead of camera FX. Realism was spot on. Editing was smooth.
Right from the beginning the writer told us they were doomed from the start, when Iko found out an important detail about her life. No relationship can last without trust and open communication.
Considering it was a manga adaption, the ending was satisfactory.
DISLIKES:
WRITING:
Wako Taira is definitely a pedophile. [1- she preys on Yumeaki Iko’s loneliness and inexperience, 2- instead of waiting until he is old enough to make his own choices, she manipulates him. 3- she acts like a child herself to lure him in.]. How she handles the situation with the teenager isn’t love it’s control. She doesn’t teach him about love, she teaches him about control, infatuation, possessiveness and everything negative. [If she actually loved him she would’ve been happy to just hold his hand, hugs and maybe a kiss, until he was old enough to make the choice of being more physical.]
This is how a midlife crisis can become very wrong.
They only mentioned consequences via the TV news, instead of tackling that with Wako. I feel that sends the wrong message.
We should’ve seen the reaction of Yumeaki Iko’s parents to the news of his older woman relationship.
OVERALL:
When I first watched this in 2019, I stopped half way through and then finished it much later. I had to rewatch it all in one siting to give a complete review. So technically I rewatched it. I had started watching because I really like Kamio Fuju’s acting, especially when he tackles complex characters. I would recommend people watch this all the way through, to see his superb acting. Also it suggests that the viewer learn to not let desires override sense and morality.
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Garbage Writing and Bad Time Management (no pun intended)
LIKES:
Beach setting and cinematography.
Okay music.
Okay acting, considering what a piece of crap the writing/script was.
Production was fine, but could’ve been better.
DISLIKES:
WRITING
No need for the time travel bits or flash backs (since the episodes weren’t long or many).
The time travel parts just made it confusing and ridiculous.
The love triangle was all over the place without establishing why Taki was suddenly in love with the FL. And Aikawa had no chemistry with Kayo at all.
Who was Juumonji? (Other than the guy chasing FL with a camera [which was never explained] and the same guy telling her good luck on the exam. Unless he’s the one she’s supposed to end up with, this character was under used and not needed.
The time used on unnecessary characters and the time travel people/situations could’ve been cut out, so the main characters were better developed, (given the limited air time and number of episodes).
DIRECTOR
I really hated the ice cream scenes, because no one ate it, mostly it melted or was dropped on the floor. For a teen romance this had barely any romance and the delayed kisses with FL was way too long. The actors like Kamio Fuju were under used considering their talent.
FX
There were none. The time travel moments were either a bright light or a fade out, so cheap. Also every time the FL fell, she didn’t have a scraped knee or anything. The blood on her finger looked real, that’s about it.
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Writing Failed a Good Start
LIKES:Concept of friendship and delivery people are a band of brothers.
Kung-soo’s character and positivity.
Music was okay, nothing memorable.
No real FX.
Okay production.
DISLIKES:
Dan-ah wasn’t a nice person, not to family or friends. If they were trying to make her seem strong, they could’ve done it without her constantly hitting or kicking people. Sure if it was self-defence or something similar it’s fine, but it became ridiculous and not just annoying. I liked her independence, but the rest of her character was dumb.
Didn’t feel the chemistry between Kung-soo and Dan-ah, the romance aspect wasn’t really needed.
The comedy was overdone and not funny, felt stupid.
They ruined Kung-soo’s character of being a good human that doesn’t hold grudges in order to conclude his storyline, which is simply crap writing.
Rushed ending, with too much happening in the last episode, but time management was an issue throughout the whole drama. Some parts were really boring, the romances were poorly done, to the point of being cringeworthy.
Kung-soo had a bad dose of a hero complex, he didn’t have any character growth, it was almost like the writer reversed his character at the end.
OVERALL:
It started strong and then got bogged down, to the point of having boring episodes. I barely finished it.
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Science meets investigative drama with a dose of humour
LIKES:The writing was very well done for this and same with all the acting.
Cinematography
Location settings
The science behind each case, was based on real data.
The 3some of doctor, government official and genius parasitologist, some how works. There’s humour, emotions without romance, excitement, etc. Some of Yamashita’s best humours moments is how he can deliver some of the phrases completely deadpan and their duo brings lightheartedness to the scientific aspect. The doctor and genius have a great chemistry and make each episode and case interesting.
Showing the parasites and viruses as cute animated cartoons, worked too.
The OST was good, but nothing outstanding.
DISLIKES:
The FX, especially involving blood looked extra fake.
Production could’ve been smoother, some editing of cut scenes made other moments not flow so well. Also directing had some problems too.
Sometimes the sound effects, especially when the genius had an epiphany, started to get annoying instead of keeping an amusing quirkiness to his character.
OVERALL:
I recommend watching this if you like science, investigative dramas layered with comedic relief. I would watch this again. The conclusion or final episode was satisfactory too.
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New Concept To The Same Old Idea
I never read the manga and I'm not familiar with any of the cast, so this review is based on everything being new to me as the viewer.LIKES:
The production and cinematography were both great. I loved the vibrancy and colour palette.
The story concept of art through fashion in a coming of age, school to work theme.
I found the acting of the FL initially a bit over the top (made me think the character was a moron) but she grew on me and I liked her more mid way.
The music was okay, nothing annoying but also nothing stood out.
DISLIKES:
The director failed during some moments with timing, having the FL taking too much time for reactions/actions.
The transformation from high school no-body to beautiful working woman, wasn't as impactful, even though the make-up was pretty.
The supporting characters storylines needed more development, I wanted more storyline from the Transgender/Cross-dresser (Isabelle?).
The high school boy love story could've been left out completely or definitely reduced, since the writer seemed to abruptly conclude it.
There were some red flag moments too, however I understood it was mostly to teach a lesson for the FL.
The family portions of the drama were very choppy, which caused them to loose their impact.
Some time should've been used for showing FL trials and becoming an adult between home and finding work. It all happened too fast.
OVERALL:
The conclusion of the movie was acceptable for the FL and ML, but not for the other supporting characters. It was an easy watch, with not much heartache or drama as the viewer. I would watch it again and recommend it.
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More Documentary, Than A Romance
LIKES:Aaron Yan listed as the Male Lead and for what he was given, didn't disappoint.
Cinematography was well done.
Music was perfectly crafted, especially the violin parts that hit your emotions (more than some of the acting).
My favourite parts from the whole thing was the old man Hayama and his interaction with the ML/FL and his whole storyline.
The traditional Taiwanese dancing in Episode 2 was beautiful to see.
Cinematography was good.
DISLIKES:
Production tried to link it all together, but you could tell there were parts cut out, it wasn't smooth. At least there were no shaky camera situations to add drama.
Unlike the train they were designing, the drama moved very slowly and some moments I fast forwarded (like a very slow moving moped out in the country scene), that and some really drawn out moments like at the beginning of Episode 2 [no traffic]. That’s the director’s fault and maybe the writer too. A lot of time wasted on the side stories, (like the hostess club bits) instead of focusing on the FL and ML. I really dislike women like the character for the FL; indecisive, not following their heart, being evasive or giving mixed signals, etc.
The train parts felt like a documentary, more than a drama, some parts were redundant. A good chunk of it was about how the train linked Japan and Taiwan together. The “romance” of the FL & ML was under utilized and seemed like a storyline thrown together. The storyline of Hayama seemed more like the main story, after the train.
OVERALL:
Most of it was almost boring, with some interesting bits. Not well planned out. I don't recommend this and won't rewatch.
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Slightly Better Than Japanese Version
NOTE: I don’t follow Joy from Red Velvet and I didn’t read the manga, this review is solely based on the show itself.LIKES:
Story development of FL, ML and the two groups/bands, and the CEO guy
Better character development and content for backstory, than the Japanese version.
The friends that stick together rather than go after individual glory/money concept was really well done. The cut throat music industry was well done in how it can divide artists/friends, how it is after money and doesn’t always listen to it’s artists. The singing bits weren’t dubbed, but the actors themselves singing and playing their instruments.
DISLIKES:
Directing wasn’t the greatest, because in some circumstances throughout each episode the characters waited to react, way too long. For example: Episode 6 at end/start of 7 Director had FL wait way too long.
Shaky camera, especially close up shots [it was as if the video stabilizer was removed].
The romance was slow paced and could be boring at times
Repeating music got old, but the first time I heard the song(s) it was catchy and decent in the pop genere.
No chemistry between FL & ML, more of a friends vibe, but their acting was fine.
Predictable Music-drama Fluff with typical teen drama tropes.
The plot kept switching between romance of FL & ML, among some side stories, to the story of Crude Play (their beginning, trials and future).
The writing made the FL dumb and the ML oblivious to everything around him (until maybe the last few episodes).
The love triangle fell flat and completely failed, maybe due to the childish aspect they created for the FL.
OVERALL:
Light content, easy watch, for a K-drama it’s plot was limited, but enjoyable. Kpop fans will love the OST. Better than the Japanese version, that cut content that was needed. [When I watched the Japanese version I remembered watching the Korean one, so had to re-watch to give an accurate review.] I won’t rewatch it again.
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Easy Watch, Typical Story
LIKED:Ren by Saito Ryusei, was well performed. Acting was great by Kamenashi Kazuya as Hiroto. And Toda Erika did well as the best friend. Not as much chemistry between FL and ML as I originally thought.
Production was good until last episode; shaky camera and zoom in too close. The cinematography was well done for the most part too. No fx that I saw. Loved when Ren and Hiroto built something together using shells and ocean glass they found on the beach.
DISLIKED:
Time Management Failed: the ending felt rushed and I wanted to see what the characters futures looked like, if they cut the time used for literally running around (especially for Kamenashi Kazuya’s character Hiroto), the girls have cell phones, could call a cab, they can afford one.
More screen time for Kamenashi Kazuya at least in the final two episodes was needed.
OST Song: one main theme song that played over and over again, to the point I muted it and hoped it would stop.
The supportive friend who worked at cafe Ayuta?, had no conclusion for his character
Disliked parents of both FL and ML
Director sucked in that often Nao and Kou had WAY too slow reactions to things. To the point that it made them seem mentally handicapped.
OVERALL: It's a decent watch, nothing really emotional or fantastic to grab the viewer. Because of Kou, it could've been listed as a Rom-Com. I wont rewatch, but many would.
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Good Messages with a side of Cheese
LIKES:OST- The cafe with the old guy by the bar, plays great rock music, like AC DC’s Back in Black, Led Zeppelin, Gun’s and Roses, etc. WRITING- The messages: Love yourself first, above what others think or say. Accepting people for who they are, not just superficial things: looks, money, status, etc. ACTING- Good character growth for ML1 Kazuya as Kyohei [showcased his ability to show a good range of emotion] and Sunako too. The kid Takeru, the actor did a great job and at such a young age too! The friendship theme was carried throughout. Some of the cinematography was beautiful. The Director did a good job too.
DISLIKES:
Right in Episode 1, shaky camera issues, like they don’t know what a film stabilizer is. The mother abandoned her son way too much, she should love her son more, he’s a smart cutie. The growth of the other characters (excluding Kyohei and Sunako), was rushed and for Ranmaru his growth due to the situation he created was ridiculous. The boarding house’s female owner had no growth or development. The special FX for Sunako’s super power were more cheesy than anything else. The supernatural events in the house, made that part of the show very lame and stupid.
OVERALL: The music and acting was the biggest reason this show got 6.5, otherwise I would've scored it 4.5 or 5/10. I had to rewatch it to leave a review, since I had watched this originally over a year ago. The parts I liked back then, were the same parts I liked now. I would recommend this show if you like campy/silly storylines.
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Good Fight Scenes, Needed More Time
LIKES:Production was good and so was the cinematography. Sometimes time travel movies/shows get bogged down with details that don't translate to film well. This movie didn't have that problem. The writer(s) kept enough dialog to keep it interesting. The fight scenes were well done; blood/damage FXs, choreography, sounds, music, etc. The story needed more time, to develop the mystery of the man behind the conflicts, who we see a few times. This would've been better as a series with episodes, but for what they accomplished it was satisfying with the conclusion. As in any fighting type movie/show Yamada Yuki kills it. I liked his portrayal of Draken and he looks so good with a partially shaved head! I also liked Ryo's Mikey and Takumi's Takemichi. The music was good and added to the film, but no particular song stood out.
DISLIKES:
The Director in this had some faults, like how long he has some characters have a reaction in certain situations. In particular the director failed with how Takemichi handled some situations and same with Hina. I was literally yelling at the screen for them to shut up and get moving. I never read the manga, so my review is solely based on the movie itself. The actors don't look like they are teenagers. If you compare Tong: Memories cast against the cast of Tokyo Revengers, the Tong cast look more like teenagers than these guys. Also the beginning of the movie almost made me not watch it, but as I'm a fan of Yamada Yuki, I stuck with it. The beginning was dumb, but I'm glad I kept watching. I didn't feel any connection between Takemichi and Hina, their romance part of the movie failed. They had no chemistry, but she was needed as the explanation as to why Takemichi was so driven to change outcomes. The ending was barely satisfactory, but left too many unanswered questions.
OVERALL: A good watch with fun fight scenes/violence. I hope they make a sequel to expand on the storyline. I would recommend watching it and I will rewatch it just for Yuki's character.
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